Nonspecific immune responses of pregnant women to general mitogens and recall antigens are not different from non-pregnant control women. However, in HSV-II infected women, virus specific cellular immunity was impaired or delayed in cases of recurrent infections. Low frequencies of antigen specific (HSV-II) responses were detected during virus shedding phases when compared to post shedding phases of recurrent infections or with shedding phase during primary infections. Antibody responses to HSV-II did not correlate with protection from recurrence of infection with HSV-II. The antibody dependent lymphocyte cytotoxicity response trailed the elevation in IHA antibody following primary infection and also after recurrences. ADLC was found to be a more sensitive assay for detecting antibody to HSV-I, although it did not predict protection from recurrence of disease. A positive antibody concentration gradient was detected in cord blood samples when compared to levels of antibody to measles virus in maternal serum.